Wedding Interruption
by Kira Ani McGrath
Summary: After confronting Elsa at her ice palace, Hans spots Anna on a nearby mountain. Determined to bring his fiancée home, he follows her. [One-Shot]


_Cold._

Not simply cold. That irritating chill when one's garments are damp with sweat while outside in frigid air. The thick cloak offered little warmth; in fact, it seemed to only add to the discomfort.

He resisted the urge to let out a deep sigh. It would have eased his own tension, perhaps, but it could also be taken as a sign of tiredness — _weakness_ — by the men he was leading.

Prince Hans pressed his lips together. He certainly hadn't _planned_ on fighting a giant snow golem.

 _I didn't plan on harming Queen Elsa either, and look how that turned out._

He glanced behind him at the Arendelle soldier who carried the limp young woman on his horse.

"No change, your Highness," the soldier immediately stated, having taken Hans' glance as a sign that he wanted an update.

Hans nodded slightly and faced forward again.

 _I'm lucky._

A grimace flashed across his face.

 _'Lucky.' It certainly **would** be **my** luck that, in an attempt to save her life, I nearly **killed** her._

He started to shake his head, as if he could shake the image from his mind. However, realizing that could also be seen as a sign of weakness, he stopped mid-turn and pretended to be looking at the adjacent mountain.

That's when he saw her.

A splash of purple against the white snow and gray trees. Not what she had been wearing when she rode off the previous night, but she had the same bright copper hair. He glimpsed her for only a second as she disappeared into the forest.

"Anna!" he exclaimed as he halted Sitron. The rest of the group immediately stopped and turned their heads in the same direction as their leader.

"Where?" one soldier questioned.

"I don't see anything," another remarked.

Hans looked back to his troop. "It was her. She's on the adjoining mountain." He pulled Sitron's reins and orientated the horse toward the neighboring peak.

"What about the queen?" There was a twinge of fear in this soldier's voice.

Hans turned his gaze back once more. "Take her to the castle dungeon. Restrain her. Have the doctor examine her."

"If she wakes?"

"Have the French diplomat take charge until I return. Ask Queen Elsa to stop the winter. If she refuses, do your best to help the citizens of Arendelle."

"I meant if she wakes before we imprison her, your Highness," the soldier sheepishly elaborated.

"Do _**not**_ try to engage her in battle," Hans replied, narrowing his eyes at the Weselton guards who were purposefully kept at the back of the group. "Try to make her see reason, and do the right thing for her people."

The soldier nodded, though not fully convinced of the wisdom of this plan.

Hans tried to make his voice as authoritative as possible. "All will be well. I will return with Princess Anna before dawn."

The prince and the soldiers parted company.

* * *

In a strange way, he was thankful for the snow. It made his fiancée easier to track. However, he was quite uneasy about the other sets of footprints alongside hers. The reindeer hooves were odd, as he couldn't recall any citizens who kept reindeer. Odder still were the little round dimples that he would have thought to be a child for their size, but were clearly inhuman. Most worrisome of all, though, were the large prints that led the group — a man's trail, and a large man at that. Despite seeing no signs of struggle, Hans could feel the anxiety gripping his chest. Anna was sweet, but unfortunately also naive. She may be following this man of her own free will, but there was no telling under what pretenses she was doing so.

The young prince was jerked from his thoughts as his horse suddenly stepped onto dry ground.

 _What on Earth?_

Hans halted Sitron and jumped down. There was no snow here, and the air was noticeably warmer.

 _How—?_

As if on cue, a _HISSSSSSS_ caught his attention, drawing his eyes to the white vapor cloud rising from the treetops and visible against the darkening sky.

 _Hot springs._

The trees were denser here, no doubt due to the more favorable climate, and leading Sitron through the forest became increasingly difficult. A soft noise started to filter through the trees. At first, Hans thought it was the wind.

 _No, that's not wind..._

Perhaps his exhaustion was causing him to hear things? He shook his head vigorously, pressing onward. Each step he took seemed to make the sound clearer, until there could be no mistaking it.

 _Singing._

Not just a lone voice or two, but a whole group. Just as he was trying to focus on making out the lyrics, there was a sudden lull of silence. Gritting his teeth, Hans quickened his pace.

 _Anna, what have you gotten yourself into?_

As suddenly as it had stopped, the singing picked up again. Hans tried to concentrate as he pushed himself to move faster.

 _"Everyone's a bit of a fixer-upper,_  
 _That's what it's all about!"_

Hans' arm snapped back as the reins were drawn to their limit. He quickly looked back at Sitron, who was unable to get through the ever-denser array of trunks. Hans scanned the area left and right, but could see no alternative route that would let his horse travel any farther. Sitron seemed to sense this and whinnied at his owner, as if urging him to continue on. Hans dropped the reins and gave the golden muzzle a quick pat. "I'll be back soon." Then he took off.

As he ran, a repetition rang out, and he headed straight for the sound.

 _"True! true!_  
 _True, true, true!_  
 _Love (True love)_  
 _Love, love, love, love, love_  
 _Love! (True love!)_  
 _True..."_

Hans reached the edge of a clearing and stopped short at the utterly bizarre sight before him. Strange creatures all facing one direction, staring at...

 _Anna!_

"Do you, Anna, take Kristoff to be your troll-fully wedded—?"

 _What?!_

"Wait, what!?" There was definite confusion in Anna's voice.

"You're getting married!"

 _"Love!"_ the congregation chorused.

" **NO**!" The word had left his lips without a thought, and suddenly a hundred pairs of eyes were staring at him.

"Hans!" Anna cried gleefully.

His relief at finally finding her was clear. "Anna!" he replied with a smile as he took a step forward.

Immediately, he was surrounded on all sides. Hans instinctively reached for the hilt of his blade.

"No, wait!" Anna and Kristoff cried simultaneously. All eyes darted to the two.

"Hans is Anna's fiancé," Kristoff explained as Anna shed her unorthodox accessories and began to climb out of the pit the two were strangely standing it.

"Hello, Anna's fiancé Hans!" a short snowman shouted as he waved.

 _He must be another one of Elsa's creations._

Murmurs broke out amongst the... _Trolls._ Hans' mind finally made the connection to the stories he had read as a child.

He put on his most dignified air. "I have come for Princess Anna, and I will not leave without her."

The murmuring intensified. Hans noticed Kristoff exchange glances with a nearby reindeer, but his attention was quickly drawn back to his fiancée. Anna was trying to make her way through the crowd to Hans, but the trolls were too close together for her to make any progress. Her brows began to furrow in frustration. The trolls were also too heavy to move, as Anna discovered when she attempted to pick one up. Recovering from the effort, she stood straight and tall.

"LET ME THROUGH!" she demanded, angrily stomping her foot.

There was instant silence as all eyes fell on her. She remained defiant, glaring them down. One troll moved aside, then another, and soon the whole group had opened a path straight from Anna to Hans.

Anna smiled gratefully as she broke into a run. Hans felt his own feet move without even willing them to, as if his body had a mind of its own.

Then he saw her fall.

His joy immediately turned to panic as he rushed to her side. " _Anna!_ " He wrapped his arms around her when he reached her, and his terror only increased. "You're so cold!"

Anna clutched her chest as a large section of her hair turned white alongside the existing strands, which were far more numerous than they had been when he last saw her, Hans finally realized.

"There's strange magic here!"

Hans looked up to see an elderly troll standing at the edge of the path through the crowd.

"Grand Pabbie!" Kristoff exclaimed, having shed his own accessories as he stood at the edge of the hole.

"Bring her to me," Grand Pabbie gently commanded, his gaze fixed on the engaged couple.

Hans nodded and quickly complied, gently picking up Anna and carrying her to the elder. Hans knelt down so the troll could look Anna in the eyes.

"Anna, your life is in danger. There is ice in your heart, put there by your sister. If not removed, to solid ice will you freeze, forever."

"What? No..." Anna whispered breathlessly.

Hans could feel his stomach knot. "You said she'd never hurt you!" he cried, unable to hide the anguish in his voice.

Anna turned to look at him, pain etched in her face. "I was wrong."

"So remove the ice, Grand Pabbie," Kristoff stated simply.

"I can't."

All eyes turned to the old troll.

Grand Pabbie continued. "If it was her head, that would be easy. But only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

"An act of true love?" Anna repeated. She quickly turned back to Hans, her eyes wide.

Hans' mind once again recalled the stories of his childhood, and his own eyes widened in understanding realization. "A true love's kiss."

Anna smiled. She believed everything was going to be alright. Hans could see it in her face. His heart began to race even faster. She was counting on him to save her, just as he'd done before... though the other occasions hadn't been life-or-death.

He began to lean in. Anna closed her eyes, and he let his lids drop.

 _What if this doesn't work?_

The thought flashed through his mind, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

 _No, this_ _ **has**_ _to work. It_ _ **must**_ _work._

Their lips met.

 _She's ice cold._

He let his lips linger. Five seconds... ten...

 _How long is this supposed to take?_

Fifteen... twenty...

 _Shouldn't she be warmer by now?_

Twenty-five...

Hans opened his eyes. He could see Anna's bangs in his peripheral vision. Some were still white.

Thirty.

He broke their kiss and pulled back slightly, looking her up and down. She opened her eyes and looked at him fearfully.

"It didn't work."

The statement caused Hans to look up. Kristoff was standing over them, next to Grand Pabbie.

"I don't understand."

Anna's trembling voice drew Hans' attention back down. She stared at him, tears starting to fill her eyes. "Don't you love me?"

She may as well have stabbed him in the heart. He made no effort to hide the hurt in his face and voice. "Of course I love you!"

"Then why didn't it work?"

Hans winced. She had so fully trusted him, and now she surely felt utterly betrayed. "Real life doesn't work the same way as fairy tales, Anna," he answered softly. He snapped his head up to look at the elder troll. "What act of true love will thaw her heart?!" His voice was harsher than he had intended, but he wasn't about to let his bride-to-be die in his arms.

Grand Pabbie sighed. "She must figure that out for herself."

Hans dropped his head. Anna was staring at Grand Pabbie.

"But… but I have no idea." Her lips quivered and tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Maybe the kiss didn't work because you don't _truly_ love Hans!" a female troll suggested happily.

Hans whipped his head to stare the troll in the face. " **What did you just say?** " he growled, narrowing his eyes at the offender.

The troll smiled, undeterred. "Anna may indeed love you, but it may not be _true_ love. The kiss wouldn't work if that was the case."

Hans turned back to his fiancée. "Anna..."

Anna's brows were knit in confusion. "But if Hans isn't my true love—"

"This is ridiculous!" Hans spat furiously. "Anna, I _love_ you. We were so happy together last night. I came all this way to look for you, to _find_ you and bring you home! If I'm not your true love, who else could possibly—"

He stopped short as he saw Anna's brief glance away from him.

" _I see._ " His rage was palpable.

Anna was about to cry again. "Hans, I... I don't _feel_ like I love Kristoff... but he _did_ help me find Elsa—"

"And that worked out _so very well_ ," Hans hissed, his eyes fiercely boring into hers.

Anna bit her lower lip. "And he brought me here to the trolls to try and help me—"

"Yes, such a _great_ _ **help**_ they've been." He was trying to mitigate his increasingly rapid breaths.

Tears trickled down Anna's cheeks. "I don't know, okay?! I just don't know!" She buried her face in his shoulder as she began to sob.

Hans swallowed hard, then wrapped his arms around his love. He held her tightly as he watched her back rapidly rise and fall. He looked up at Kristoff, who was observing the scene with a conflicted expression.

 _'Do you love her?'_ Hans silently mouthed the words, unsure if the stranger would understand.

Kristoff glanced away for a moment, then met Hans' stare. He gave a single, firm nod.

Hans flinched in spite himself as he closed his eyes. Resting his cheek against Anna's head, he whispered hoarsely, "If there's even a slim chance that he can save you, you have to take it."

Anna drew back with a start and gaped in shock. "What?!"

"Thawing your heart is what's most important. Do whatever is necessary."

"Hans..." She was clearly hesitant.

"Don't worry about me. Just find a way to break this curse."

Anna continued to stare at Hans in apprehension despite the trolls erupting in jubilant cheers.

"Continue the wedding!" they shouted, whisking both Anna and Kristoff away.

Hans slowly rose to his feet as he was left by himself.

 _Leave._

He watched as the trolls redressed Anna and Kristoff with the grassy garments and glowing gems.

 _I should leave._

He tried to will himself to move, to turn around and walk away, but nothing happened.

 _I need to see if this works._

The trolls pushed Anna and Kristoff back to the pit.

 _I have to be sure she's safe._

"Now where were we?" a troll muttered as he stood before Anna and Kristoff. "Ah, yes. Do you, Kristoff, take Anna to be your troll-fully wedded wife?"

Kristoff smiled as he gazed at Anna. "I do."

 _At least he appears to be genuine._

Hans' eyes darted to Anna as the troll priest continued.

"Do you, Anna, take Kristoff to be your troll-fully wedded husband?"

Hans turned away before the question was complete. He felt as though his stomach was missing, yet he was so nauseous he was sure he was going to be sick.

"I..."

 _You don't have time to hesitate, Anna._

"I..."

 _My presence must be giving her pause._

He forced himself to take a step toward the woods. His legs were like lead. Another heavy step.

 _At this rate they'll be on their honeymoon by the time I reach the treeline._

Gasps of shock and horror pierced the air as a cry reached his ears. " _Hans!_ "

His heart soared even though he was mentally chiding himself for not retreating more quickly.

"Anna..." Hans turned back just in time to catch her as she flung herself into his arms. A grunt of surprise escaped, but he couldn't keep himself from holding her as firmly as she was gripping him. "What are you doing?"

She squeezed him tighter. "Don't leave me."

Hans sighed. "My being here is holding you back from going through with this. I need to go."

Anna gasped in pain as she collapsed, only held upright by Hans' embrace.

"Anna!" Hans shifted her in his arms to look her in the eyes. "You're running out of time. Go back to Kristoff."

Anna shook her head, weakly clinging to Hans.

"I'll carry you if you can't walk."

Anna just shook her head again.

"Anna, please don't make this more difficult."

Anna stared up into Hans' eyes. "I won't go back."

He couldn't prevent his voice from cracking. " _Why?_ "

She gave him a tiny smile despite her violent shivering. "I'd rather freeze solid than break your heart."

His eyes bulged for the briefest of moments before he pulled her close, pressing his cheek against hers. " _Oh, Anna,_ " he whispered as a few tears slipped from his lidded eyes. "My heart's going to break either way. I'd rather it be because someone else saved you than because you died in my arms."

He felt her draw back ever so slightly, and he prepared to let her pull away. Instead, her lips met his own.

 _You know this won't work! You're wasting what precious little time she has left!_ his mind screamed. He ignored it, dropping one hand to the small of her back and lifting the other to the back of her head, gently pulling her as close as he possibly could.

… _Is she_ _ **warmer**_ _?_

Hans broke their kiss. "Anna?" he said questioningly, examining her. Her cheeks had a rosy flush. Her copper hair had been completely restored — even the white streak he had commented on during the ball was gone.

Anna grinned. "It worked!" she squealed as she bounced up and down in his arms.

Hans smiled in disbelief. "I don't understand..."

"It wasn't the kiss that thawed Anna's heart."

The couple turned to look at Grand Pabbie.

"It was her willingness to put your well-being above her own. That is true love."

Hans smiled happily as he kissed the side of Anna's head, breathing in her scent. "I love you, Anna."

Anna nuzzled him. "I love you too, Hans."

He grinned as he excitedly scooped Anna up in his arms and cradled her against his chest. Then he caught sight of Kristoff, staring at the two with a sad smile. Hans felt a twinge in his chest.

 _He has to be experiencing the same heart-wrenching sickness I just did._

"I'm sorry," was all Hans could manage to say.

Anna looked at Hans, then followed his gaze to Kristoff. Her face fell. "I'm sorry, Kristoff."

Kristoff shook his head. "Don't apologize. I'm glad you're alright, Anna." There was an awkward but blissful moment of silence. "We still need to figure out how to stop this winter," Kristoff suddenly added.

"Oh!" Hans exclaimed. "We need to go back to Arendelle!"

"Why would that help?" Anna questioned.

"The soldiers brought Elsa back to Arendelle," Hans answered.

Anna's face puckered in confusion. "How? She told me she wasn't going to go back."

Hans headed for the forest. "I'll explain on the way. The important thing is telling her what you learned."

"What I learned?"

"That true love will thaw a frozen heart. Maybe that's what she needs to know to stop the winter."

 **THE END.**


End file.
